Forward Motion
by NightWatcher666
Summary: The aftermath of the episode Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too. Ashley may be awake, but her problems aren't over. Trying to peice her life back together she for the first time finds herself with real friends and maybe even more.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first attempt at a Fic for Black Mirror. I don't know why. But I just haven't been able to get the episode Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too out of my head. Anyway, standard I'm not the owner of Black mirror applies.

* * *

Forward Motion

1

"Fuck it," Catherine said as the stunned crowd looked on at the scene in from of them. On one side was dismayed middle aged woman and on the other was the famous Ashley O wearing a hospital gown and giving her aunt the finger while standing next to a truck decorated to resemble a mouse and the police rushing to handcuff two girls.

"Stop!" Ashley yelled causing everyone to pause including the officers. "It's Over Catherine, Your whole God damned scheme is over." Ashley smirked as she surveyed the crowd, "You drugged me into a coma and used computers to siphon my brain like I was a fucking cow to be milked. You kept me under for six months so you could make a fortune while you held me prisoner!"

The crowd looked over at Catherine standing on the stage that was moment ago shared with a giant hologram of the pop star. She looked at her niece and scoffed, "I did what I had to do to protect your career. I won't apologize for that"

"You're finished!" Ashley yelled back, "I fucking hope you like bars because you're going to be behind them for a long LONG time!"

"I was going to make you a god Ashley!" Catherine yelled back.

Ashley sneered, "Money is your only god and because of it, you're gunna get what you deserve."

Additional police stormed in as the Press swamped Ashley. Within Moments Rachel, Jack, Ashley and Catherine were all in handcuffs.

* * *

A few hours later Kevin Goggins arrived at the police station having rushed to the station as soon as he got a call from the police. Rachel sat on a bench clutching her Ashley Too doll and talking to it while trying not to cry. Keven watched for a moment as the doll tried to calm her down. "Rachel," Kevin said sternly "What the hell have you and Jack gotten into?"

He found himself stunned into silence when the doll turned its head and said, "It's my fault, but you have to understand that it was a real emergency."

"Did that doll just speak?" Kevin asked, "Like human speak?"

The dolls head dropped, "Third time in one day," it said, "Rachel and Jack took off the limiter that was inhibiting my mind. I'm a synaptic snapshot of the real Ashley O."

Before he could ask any more questions his older daughter Jack came down the hall with a blonde young woman. "Dad!" she yelled as she ran to him. Kevin hugged his daughters when Jack pulled away, "Dad, this is Ashley Ortiz."

"Ashley O?" he asked with a hint of shock evident on his face.

Ashley Nodded, "Yes sir, I'm sorry about all the trouble, but your daughters literally saved my life. I could never thank them enough for that."

A slightly overweight and balding man in a police uniform came up to the group, "Mister Giggins?" he asked.

"Goggins," Jack corrected him.

The officer shuffled slightly, "Goggins, I'm sorry. While Rachel is a minor and was not the one driving we released her as soon as she was questioned. We had to process Jacqueline as an adult because she's eighteen and was the individual most culpable, but given the circumstances of the incident the D.A. has declined to press charges. You're all free to go.

"And Catherine?" Ashley asked.

"Well she's in with her lawyer now, but if what you claimed proves true, she'll be going away for a very long time."

As the four of them walked out of the station Rachel looked over at Ashley, "So where will you go?"

Ashley considered this for a moment, "I guess I'll go home and start sorting my house out. Bear probably ran off, but Dr. Monk will get his."

"Will I see you again?" Rachel asked meekly.

"You saved my life," Ashley said, "And I got something I haven't has on so long… friends. You bet you'll see me again."

Ashley broke off to head to a car that was waiting for her before turning and yelling back, "Hey Mini Me, give them my contact info!"

* * *

The Goggins family arrived home and went to the Basement so Kevin could see what his girls had done to is equipment. He looked around seeing that everything was mostly in order save for the white USB cable attached to his computer.

"So you used my computer to remove the limiter allowing the doll to access the entire synaptic snapshot stored in it?"

Rachel nodded, but Jack spoke up. "Yeah, the doll spazzed out and I brought it down here to see if I could fix it for Rachel. I owed her that much after what I did. When I plugged it in I saw most of the thing dark, but a small part was lit up with a red ring around it. I deleted the ring, and the doll woke up screaming at us to get the USB cable out of it."

"It hurt," Ashley Too responded.

"I see," Keven said as he went over the computer records, "I'm going to have to connect it up again."

"NO WAY!" Ashley Too started, "You try having an electrical wire shoved up your ass and see if you like it!"

Keven grimaced as he looked over the records, "Bring the doll over here." Rachel complied and set the doll on the desk. "You see these orange areas?" he asked the doll, "These are pain receptors in a living person. For some reason the USB impulses run right through it, but you have to be plugged in or your battery dies." He started typing on the computer, "But we can use the limiter to shield you from that so you wouldn't feel it."

Ashley Too stared at the screen, "But it will leave my mind open? I will not go back to being that stupid doll."

Kevin nodded, "It will only block the pain."

"I guess it's worth it, "Ashley Too said.

"Dad!" Jack yelled, "We're on TV."

They all came over and saw a redhead reporter standing in front of the stadium as the group was led out in handcuffs.

"You heard it here folks, Ashley O is awake and has made some strong allegations against her Aunt and manager Catherine Ortiz. We still have no confirmation of the young women who were with Ashley, but we will be keeping you up do date as new information becomes available."

"Great," Jack said, "As soon as they figure out who we are the reporters will be camping on our lawn."

* * *

One Week Later

Ashley sat in her living room with her lawyer going over the results from the rather quick and efficient investigation. Of course she was right and Bear had fled to parts unknown, but after Doctor Monk woke up he got a plea to serve only five years for giving up the dirt on Catherine.

"Catherine accepted a plea bargain," Her lawyer Anastasia said calmly, "Fifteen years, but eligible for parole in six."

"Well that will put an end to her scheming for a while," Ashley said.

Her lawyer looked grim. It wasn't a good look on the middle aged woman as every line on her face seemed to deepen, "Not quite. It appears that most of your assets were managed through the company she founded. The house, your cars, bank accounts, credit cards, all of it, she owns it all. Anastasia pulled a large envelope out of her bag, "Her lawyer filed an eviction notice this morning. You are being given thirty days to move out."

"FUCK!" Ashley shouted, "Is there anything we can do?"

"We can sue her," Anastasia replied, "She assaulted you, drugged you, held you prisoner, and stole your image for her own gain without your permission."

"But?" Ashley asked knowing one was coming.

"Lawsuits take time," Anastasia said in a solemn tone, "And you'll be out on the street before we even get a court date. You could try to get her to sign everything over to you, but from what you tell me…."

"She'll never do it without some benefit to her," Ashley finished her sentence. "Go ahead and draw up the papers. I've kept a stash in a private account in case something like this happened. It's only a couple hundred thousand, but it should be enough to get something temporary."

The lawyer nodded and began packing her things, Ashley walked her out and once she was gone grabbed a set of keys for her aunts car knowing that it would rile her senseless to know they she was driving her car. She punched an address into the GPS and set off ignoring the reporters waiting outsider her gate.

The doorbell rang at the Goggins house and Rachel opened the door and went slack jawed to see Ashley standing at her door.

"Ash… Ashley, you… you're here," She stammered out.

"Hey there Ashley," Ashley Too said as she rolled up to the door.

Ashley chuckled, "Hey Rachel, Mini Me how's it going?"

"Kinda boring," Rachel responded, "Dad's out of town again to sell his mouse solution and took every set of truck keys so as not to repeat the last time."

"Hey, genius," Ashley Too said, "Invite her in."

"Omigoshi'msorry", Rachel blurted, "Come in."

Ashley chuckled, "Don't worry about it." She stepped in the door just as Jack stepped out into the hall.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked the pop star.

Ashley did her best to not appear pathetic, "I couldn't stay in that big house by myself anymore, and since You two are the only ones who have every actually helped my out... I figured I would stop in."

Jack looked her up and down. She wasn't wearing any makeup and was dressed in a simply t-shirt and jeans. Honestly Jack found her much more attractive that way. Something more... real. "Well you're welcome to stay, but we don't have much to offer except frozen TV dinners since every time we try to leave we get mobbed by reporters saying that we're the saviors of the great Ashley O."

Ashley looked at the girls apologetically, "It's been the same at my house. I'm sorry for the trouble," Then her head shot up, "We could do pizza, my treat."

Jack's eyes went wide, "You really don't have to do that," she said, "It's not like we don't have food or anything."

"Don't sweat it," Ashley said, "Pizza and a movie night sounds great."

Rachel started vibrating. She was going to spend the evening with her idol... Well maybe not the Ashley O that she was used to, but still it was exciting.

Ashley ordered the pizza from her phone and was led to the girls room so they could pick a movie. The first thing she noted was how the room was split. Jacks half of the room was totally her style while Rachel's side was all about her. "Full shrine going on here," She said watching Rachel blush."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said sadly, "That was all before I knew the truth."

Ashley actually found herself laughing, "Don't sweat it. I was a teenage girl not that long ago. I get it."

She watched Rachel calm down and something caught her eye. It was beautiful, and it was on Jack's side of the room, "Whoa, sweet," she said as she drank in the details of Jack's bass guitar.

"It was my mom's," Jack said with a protective tone in her voice, "I love playing, but I'm not like good or anything."

Ashley turned her head to Jack, "Neither was I when I started. I got my dad's guitar when he died, but my aunt hated it so I had to learn to play when she was out of the house. I always wanted a real band."

After a little while the pizza arrived and the trio had settled on Invasion of the Body Snatchers as both Jack and Ashley claimed it to be one of their favorites and all climbed on Rachel's bed to watch.

Once the movie was over Ashley and Jack noticed that Rachel has fallen asleep so they quietly slipped out of the room and out onto the back porch. "So, was it all terrible?" Jack asked, "The fame, money and adoring fans."

"Not at first," Ashley responded, "But as time went on it became more and more clear that my 'Friends' were just there to hitch a ride on the gravy train and the fans were worshiping someone that I didn't even know. I tried to get out of it a couple times, but my aunt just beat me over the head with a contract, then had Dr. Monk start feeding me his pills to keep me docile."

Jack sat down on the edge of the porch and Ashley joined her, "Are you going back to the life?"

Ashley dropped her head, "I don't know what else to do," she said sadly, "Music is all I know, but I won't go back to Ashley O... She's fucking dead as far as I'm concerned. I'm never putting on that fucking wig and costume again."

"I'm impressed pop star. Not many would be so eager give up their star to start over," Jack said with a sly smile. "So what have you done with your first week of freedom?"

Ashley looked up at the moon, "Lawyers mostly... even from jail my aunt is trying to fuck me over. The house, money, it's all held under the company she owns."

Jack let out a long slow whistle, "Damn, that sucks."

"Yeah," Ashley responded, "It makes me sick that I let her do this to me, but I was just a kid when it started. I had no idea what I was in for."

"Say you get everything back, what do you plan to do with it?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," Ashley said with a sigh, "I couldn't give up music but if I didn't have to worry about eating, I could do it my way even if it means I don't get to stay on top. I would rather be happy than famous any day."

Jack placed her hand on top of Ashley's and felt a pleasant little jolt run up her arm, "Then that's what you'll do."

Ashley nearly jumped when she felt the electricity in Jack's tough run up her arm and found herself staring into the eyes of the eighteen year old woman, "Well I'll need a band... I'll have to find a drummer, but I think I found a bassist if you're interested."

* * *

A/N: I have chapter 2 written, but it's going through some revisions and I will post once I am satisfied with it. Please R&R.


	2. Chapter 2

2

The next couple weeks seemed to pass in a blur. Ashley fished her father's old guitar of her closet, replaced the strings and had been practicing with Jack nearly every day. Rachel sat in with them most days as Jack was responsible for watching her while their dad was out of town, but she didn't mind. Ashley found herself bonding with the high school student as she slowly got over her Ashley O fangirling phase and actually took the time to talk to the real person behind the character.

Today was different. She was sitting in the visitors area of the county jail to try and talk some reason into her aunt before she was moved to an actual prison two hundred miles away. Catherine entered the room and scoffed at her nieces appearance. Gone was the perfect pop idol that she had so painstakingly created and in her place was a grungy young woman wearing a lot of black eye shadow. "What do you want?" she asked with an obvious sneer in her voice."

Ashley looked up at her aunt in the prison jumpsuit. Even in jail house orange Catherine carried herself with an air of arrogance. "I want to make a deal," Ashley said as she slapped a contract out of the table.

"I don't think so" Catherine answered, "I may be in here, but you'll be out on the street turning tricks to get by, and I'll have a nice nest egg waiting for me when I get out."

Ashley smiled her sweetest fake smile at her aunt, "That's what you think. I have an iron clad lawsuit to take you for everything you got, but I'm here to make an offer."

Catherine sat down and took the contract from her niece and began reading.

"It boils down to," Ashley began, "You signing everything over to me. Once done I will put five million dollars in a secured account for you upon release. The only catch is you sign right now, and never contact me again for any reason what so ever."

Catherine smirked, "If your case were so iron clad you wouldn't be here offering me this. Thanks, but I'll take my chances in court."

"I just want this over quickly," Ashley said tiredly, "I'll win because I can prove how badly you treated me and the damage it did. This deal is to end it before we spend months battling it out before a judge."

"I know about your little safety account," Catherine said, "You'll blow it all in court fees because my lawyer will spin so much red tape that that you'll be broke before a date is even set and I still win. Now go back to crack house you found those clothes in and leave me be."

Without another word Catherine slid the contract back to Ashley and stood up, "I think we're done here."

Jack groaned as Ashley's cell went to voicemail for the third time. She was late for their practice and Jack was beginning to worry. She knew that she was going to see her aunt, and was beginning to suspect that it had gone poorly. Luckily her dad got home the day before so she wouldn't have to tote her sister across town. "Dad, I'm going out," Jack said as she grabbed her phone and walked out the door.

It took seemingly forever for jack to get to Ashley's using the bus but as she walked up she noticed that the gate was open. Walking through she made her way to the house feeling worry build up as she noticed that the front door was open. "Ashley?" she called as she slowly slipped inside. "Ash, are you here?"

She heard glass break and a , "SHIT!" come from upstairs. Jack bolted up the stairs to see Ashley sitting at her piano with a half empty bottle of vodka and a notebook. "Ash, are you OK?" she asked.

"Shfine," Ashley slurred, "Bad day."

Jack ran up to her to make sure she was alright, "You're drunk."

Ashley raised her head but it was obviously unsteady, "Yep, happens when your only family continues to fuck you over out of nothing but spite."

"Come on," Jack said as she helped the pop star up, "You're better than this." She notices Ashley's notebook, "What are you writing?"

"Song," Ashley said as she plopped back down onto the piano bench, "Something for the bitch."

Jack looked down at the book and read the verse there out loud,

"And you could have it all  
My empire of dirt  
I will let you down  
I will make you hurt"

"Wow," Jack said, "You really did have a bad day."

She noticed Ashley's head beginning to droop, "Alright," she said as she helped Ashley once again off the piano bench and led her towards her bed, "Time for some rest. We'll address this tomorrow." She got Ashley into bed and turned to leave, but Ashley grabbed her arm.

"Please stay," Ashley said with a little whimper in her voice, "I don't wanna be alone. I'm so tired of always being alone."

With a sigh, jack kicked off her shoes, texted her dad that she would not be home tonight but she was safe and not in any trouble, and crawled into bed with the pop star."

Rachel looked at the sharpie in her hand, "Are you sure you wanna do this?" she asked the doll.

Ashley Too turned from the mirror to look at Rachel, "Oh you bet I do. I'm in need of a change and since I'm mostly molded plastic it's not like I can go to the hair salon."

"Alright," Rachel said as she began coloring a black streak through the doll's pink hair. "You know, I never thought to ask what it's like being you, but trapped in this doll."

Ashley Too's eyes narrowed, "I guess it's not as weird as it would be if I didn't know how I got here. There are things I miss... Being tall, having fingers, and eating, but as far as things go, it's not so bad.

Keven knocked before entering his daughter's room, "Hey Rachel, Jack is staying at Ashley's tonight. What do you say we hit a movie?"

Rachel felt unsure, but the doll put an arm on hers, "Go Rachel, I'll be fine."

Rachel looked up at her dad, "Sure, sounds great."

Ashley winced as the sun hit her face. She went to roll over but something was on her arm. Stopping for a moment to take stock of her self, she felt her arms wrapped around another person. "How drunk was I?" she murmured to herself as she forced her eye open to reveal her arms to be wrapped around Jack of all people. She mentally panicked for a moment before the memory began to return to her. She had asked Jack to stay, and somehow she wound up cuddling the girl.

"Are you aware that you get clingy in your sleep?" Jack asked without moving, "I tried to give you your space, but eventually just gave up."

"Sorry," Ashley said hoarsely as she released her captive, "Haven't had a sleepover since I was like twelve."

Jack chuckled, "Well, you sound like you're in a slightly better mood. When I got here you were so drunk that you couldn't stand on your own two feet."

"Yeah," Ashley responded, "Bad day."

Jack sat up and looked down at the blonde, "Tell me about it over breakfast?"

Half an hour later they were sitting at the counter in Ashley's kitchen where Jack had stunned the bodyguard and Jack was listening to Ashley recount the visit with her aunt. "That bitch," Jack said in shock, "What are you going to do?"

Ashley looked up from her toast, "Don't know, but I'll be homeless in a couple weeks. Not that this was ever much of a home... More like a prison."

"Could your lawyer help?" Jack asked.

"Sure," Ashley said, "but it will take more time than I have left in this house. She is hopeful that my aunt's lawyer will be amenable to settling. Maybe then my aunt will sign the fucking papers giving me my life back."

Jack didn't know what to say. She had no experience with having one's entire identity held hostage. "You still have your songs. Maybe you can rebuild."

Ashley shook her head, "I don't want to rebuild what I had. That wasn't me, but a caricature made up to dance and sell. I want something new, something real, something that I'm proud of, but my aunt owns the cash I would need not to mention my fucking name."

"You'll come out on top," Jack said, "Even if it takes a year, you'll win the day."

"And I'll have nothing until then."

Without thinking Jack took Ashley's hand, "You have me, and you have Rachel. Sure your aunt is a cunt, but you have family."

Without thinking Ashley leaned in and pressed her lips to Jack's. Jack seemed surprised for a moment, but only a moment before melting into the kiss and wrapping her arms around Ashley's waist. After a few moments they broke the kiss and stared at each other with sparkles in their eyes. There was only one thing they could say and they said it together, "Wow."


End file.
